Horse too tall to mount!

badgerdog

badgerdog

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 February 2008
Messages
1,188
Location
Northumberland
Visit site
I've recently bought a 5 year old warmblood who is very green, laid back, lovely paces etc but I'm struggling to get on him at times! He is 17hh and he won't stand at the mounting block. I can lead him up to it but then he swings his bum out. When someone helped me by holding him he just got stressed and we couldn't get him next to the mounting block at all. I've ended up using a portable one which he'll stand ok for a few seconds but it's so small I feel like I'm having to mount from the ground. Once I get on him he reverts to being a nice laid back horse.
I really want to get on him from our stationary, high mounting block as it will be better for his back and easier for me. Has anyone any suggestions? I haven't had this problem with previous horses so I'm not really sure what to do!
 
I have the same problem i know i will probably get told off for this but i put a plastic dustbin next to the mouting block and then lead him in between the bin and the mounting block.

Just knowing that there is something next to his hind quarters stops him from swinging his bum out.

My WBs are rising 4 and were backed last summer and turned away until jan and this has worked since day one
 
We taught my much smaller boy to stand at the mounting block by having someone stand next to his off side, it seemed to stop him swinging around. I also made a point of getting on fairly quickly so he didn't have to hang around and get fidgetty, and always to have my off rein shorter so if he moved his bum would come in.
 
This is a very common problem and just takes time and a helper to cure. Although with a helper it's easily fixed on your own you have to cheat a bit.
Stand him facing the stable door where you have hung a portable manger with a few handful's of his favourite feed, put your block in position and hop on.
This only doesn't work if he isn't keen on food.
By the time a week has passed you should be down to a couple of sprinkles of food and he should be standing still.
One other important thing, don't move off immediately you get on. I train all of ours to stand then look round for the handful of feed I then feed out of my pocket once mounted. It works brilliantly except if you go in your pocket out hacking, then the horse slams to a halt and looks round expectantly...
grin.gif
 
I would just practice getting on and off, my mare swings her bum around so someone stood there and literally prodded her with the end of the whip on her bum! Eventually she got the hint after alot of circling, prodding and patience!
 
I'm going through the same thing at the moment with my new rising 6 year old. Same as yours, very green but with lovely temperament. However, he will walk slowly backwards or sideways to avoid being mounted. It doesn't seem like he is bothered, saddle is newly fitted etc, but just a rather annoying habit. I sent him to a young friend who is 5'10" and in her early 20's, she could leap elegantly onto a passing elephant I think! After a few days with her he came back, as she had got him to stand by the mounting block or anything else that she wanted to use. For the first few days back at home he was fine, but today tried it on again. It took me half an hour to get on him! The problem with putting things beside them or behind them to stop them moving, is that it only makes it difficult for them to move, rather than teaching them to stand still. There is a big difference. Also, if you need to get off out on a hack to do a gate etc, there probably won't be a handy dustbin to use! I found that using a small mounting block just made it more difficult for him to understand where I wanted him to be. So for the moment I am using the big one, leading him up to it, stopping him where I want him, stand in front of him and say "stand" and then walk round and get on the block. If he moves, he is walked in a circle and put back by the block. Eventually, he rests a hind leg and gives up! Hopefully he will tire of this game quicker than I do! I have also found that he is better if I use a neckstrap rather than taking up a contact on the rein, that just encourages him to move backwards. Luckily at present he doesn't walk off forwards, that will probably come later!
 
I do something with the horses that I ride. I pull the reins (especially the one the other side from the side I'm mounting from) tight and then if the horse swings his bum around I just go around the horse from the front and push his/her bum around so that it is straight again and try again all completely silently. It has now go to the point with most of them that I only have to do it once and then they stand still. I also make sure that they don't walk off as soon as I get on but that they wait for me to ask them to, it helps with the discipline. Hope this helps
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top